The effect that he believes harms slave owners is that they have become immoral, lazy, and too dependent on slaves. Mrs. Auld is the prime example of this harmful effect. At first, Mrs. Auld was a kind lady who was willing to teach Frederick to read. Furthermore, she was a weaver (which means she had a skill), and this job dissuaded her from seeing cruelty towards slaves. Mr. Auld saw that his wife was trying to instruct Frederick how to read, but told her that it was a bad idea because if Frederick learned to read he would not be a good slave. Subsequently, his attitude changed towards Frederick and the other slaves. He has begun to become cruel to the slaves and Frederick observes this demoralizing metamorphosis. “While I was saddened by the thought of losing the help of my kind mistress, I was cheered by the valuable instructions which, by a mere accident, I had obtained from my master” (Douglass 873). Frederick recognized how quickly a person can change their views on slavery, but this is the point where he discovers that knowledge is the key to freedom. The demoralizing effects on slave owners would become an important aspect of his appeal to other whites